Does anyone else.....

learn life lessons while scrubbing things? Oh, that's what I thought.

I have an O'keefe & Merritt stove. I guess it could be considered 'antique' or @ least kinda cool. I got it from a friend who was given a 'new' stove. All I cared about was that it 'worked'.

It was a bit grimy, she had 'inherited' it from someone else too. I didn't mind the grime all that much since I knew I wasn't the one who created it. It could be called shabby but hey, it's an O'Keefe & Merritt! It is actually worth something @ best & worth a little something @ worst.

One day, when I was doing a surface cleaning of it like I usually do. I decided to go gung ho & degrease the entire thing. By the time I was finished that thing looked like new. (ok, well not totally but it was VERY white & shiny!) I had never thought to do that before because: that was the way it came, it wasn't MY mess to clean up & it worked, what did I care if it was sparkling?

But now, it was MORE valuable since I put more work into it. I had never considered it before & had even entertained the idea of getting a new one, if I could ever afford it. It had been losing it's charm over the years.

After all was said & done, I realized that many of our relationships, primarily our marital ones, are very much like this stove. (Nooooo, I am NOT calling my H an oven, although he is pretty hot! ;) )

For example, when we first get married, our H or spouse, come to us w/ their own 'grime' left over from where they came from & how they were raised. It doesn't bother us too much @ first because we didn't create that mess & it kinda adds to thier charm right? And we feel no obligation to help clean it up.

After awhile, we start adding to it. H seems to get grimier & grimier, we become disatisfied & possibly entertain ideas of getting a 'new' one even though this one 'works fine'.

BUT if, like my oven, we put a bit of muscle into it, if we CARE enough to do it, our H or relationship, will again start to sparkle & shine. Their value will be restored & even increased. They will appeal to us again as they once did.

Are you willing to help remove that grime? Do you care enough too? Or you just gonna toss out the old & bring in the new?

I'm not 'antique' but I could be 'vintage' & I've got the grime to prove it, but I am so glad that Jesus is willing to put in the time & effort to wipe it away & allow me to sparkle again!